An App Seeks to Crowdsource Search for Suspected Child Predators

Android users will now have access to a smartphone app -- called Operation Predator -- designed for the public to help catch child predators in California and across the nation. It’s also now available in Spanish.

Originally for the iPhone, the latest versions will give law enforcement greater reach in finding a “Most Wanted” list of fugitives suspected of producing or distributing child pornography, according to federal law enforcement officials.

Users who download the app can receive alerts, share information on social media and submit online tips, says Michael Prado, the resident agent in charge of homeland security investigations in Fresno.

“It opens up into a list of actively wanted suspects including an individual here in the valley from Modesto,” says Prado as he scans the photos on the app and points to Eladio Ramirez. “He’s wanted for lewd and lascivious acts against a child and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.”

Another suspect listed on the app is Kevin Thomas Trask. He fled the Bay Area after a San Francisco federal grand jury indicted him for allegedly sharing more than 700 images and 10 videos featuring the sexual exploitation of children. Trask was last seen in December 2012.

The public has already helped locate several suspects, says Prado. One from the Central Valley town of Delano was arrested in Mexico after authorities received an anonymous tip.

The fugitives whose photos are currently on the app are wanted in connection to the most egregious crimes.

“Their placement on the app is extremely serious and we are really asking for as much assistance from the public as possible to bringing these individuals to justice,” says Prado. “They pose a direct threat to children.”

The public is cautioned not to engage any of the fugitives if they see them, but rather, to contact law enforcement.

Operation Predator is part of a larger trend -- think Amber Alerts on cell phones -- in law enforcement to crowd-source the search for suspects. The app can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store and iTunes, and the Google Play store.